Rail bender



D. A. BENNER RAIL BENDER Jan. 13, 1942.

Filed Nov. 4, 1939 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE azeavsz RAIL BENDER Dale A. Benner, Alton, Ill. Application November 4, 1939, Serial No. 302,814

y (ci. a-3s) 2 Claims.

vThis invention relates to rail benders; and has special reference to devices adapted for use in bending or straightening railway rails in conformity with the desired curvature of the track to be provided thereby.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved device or mechanism adapted for use in bending or straightening railway rails and other articles, and comprising a unitary frame having tension members and compression members spaced therefrom and integrally united therewith by a web; to provide means within the frame for supporting an actuating device for a threaded pressure shaft extending for longitudinal movements through sockets provided in the frame; to provide a novel form of actuator including a specially designed nut mounted on said supporting means in said frame and engaging the threaded shaft for moving the shaft longitudinally when said nut is rotated and the shaft is held against rotation of the nut; to provide portions on the nut adapted to be engaged by an operating bar or lever to rotate the nut and thereby actuate the shaft longitudinally; and to provide means for enclosing the nut bearing to maintain the same in operative condition at all times and exclude the lodgment of foreign substances thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail bender of the type mentioned constructed and arranged lso that the rail engaging hooks will not be forced toward each other when the device is in use to bend or straighten a rail or other article.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made tothe annexed drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofmy improved rail bender.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the rail bender, the rail being in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the frame on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nut and associated elements on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The frame of my improved rail bender is a unitary metallic element comprising an angular or bowed tension member I; an angular or bowed compression member 2 integrally united with the member I by a web 3; rail engaging hooks 4 integral with and projecting in parallel relationship from the ends of the frame in order to receive and engage the head 5 of a rail or other 55 element tol be processed by the device; and a tubular socket'integralfwith the tension member I and the web 3 in axial alinement with a holel 'I through the compression member 2, and having its axis normal to the rail head 5 or other bar-like'element engaged' by 'the hooks 4. An enlarged central opening" 8 is provided in the web 3 between the compression member 2 and the inner end of the socket 6 and constitutes a space to receive operating mechanism,

A circumferential iiange 9 is integral with the inner end` of the socket 6,and provides an abutment for a thrust bearing I0 (Fig. 5) constituting a part of the operating mechanism. Radial f. anges II extend from the tension member I to the bearingvabutment ange 9 along opposite sides of the socket 6, and outwardlydiverging flanges I2 integral with opposite sides of the web 3 extend from the flange 9 to the tension member I of the frame. By this arrangement of these devices, that portion of the frame between the opening 8 and the tension member I is greatly strengthened to sustain forces and stresses as great as the remainder of the frame. To reduce the weight and provide a device that is easily portable, holes I3 may be formed through the web 3 beyond and separated fromthe opening 8 by compression members I4. A handle I5 may be formed integral with the tension member I and united therewith beyond opposite sides of the socket 6. I

A threaded shaft I6 extends from within the socket 6 through the hole 'I and is formed with a rail engaging head I'I at its outer end adapted to engage against the rail head 5 or other element supported against the hooks 4. A nut I8 is screwed on the shaft I 6 within the opening 8, and has an annular groove I9 in its'outer end concentric with the axis of the nut and of the shaft I6. The bearing IIJ is mounted within the groove I9, against the endof the nut I8 and against the annular flange 9. The thrust bearing I0 is of the anti-friction type so as to facilitate rotation of the nut I8 to move the shaft I6 longitudinally as required to bend or straighten the rail or other element mounted in the device. .n

The bearing I0 is enclosed and protected by the outer wall 20 of the groove I9, said wall functioning to prevent the lodgment of foreign substances in and upon the bearing and to maintain the bearing in operative condition at all times.

The nut I8 is formed with a series of circumferentially spaced flanges 2| on its periphery provided with holes 22 adapted and arranged to receive and to be engaged by and wholly support one end of an operating bar or lever to turn the nut and thereby move the shaft I6 longitudinally to perform its intended function.

A rail bender constructed in this manner is of relatively small dimensions since the operating mechanism is mounted within the bender frame between the tension member and the compression member 2. The shaft I6 is freely movable longitudinally by the nut I8, the socket 6 and guiding `portion of the compression member 2 functioning to prevent displacement of any of the parts and to hold them in operative relationship at all times. The device may be easily disl assembled to permit repair or replacement of any parts, and may be maintained in assembly as long as desired. I am aware that the invention may be varied within the scope. of equivalentY limits without departure from the nature and principle thereof.

I claim:

1. In a portable rail bender, an arcuate metallic frame having hooks at its ends for engaging a rail and having a transverse opening intermediate of its ends, an elongated tubular socket integral with said frameand having an open inner end at said opening, a nut located in said and engaging the adjacent end Wall of said opening around the open end of said socket and leaving said nut with said bearing free for lateral movements into and from said opening when said nut is disengaged from said shaft.

2. In a portable rail bender, a rigid arcuate frame provided with hooks at its ends for engaging a rail and having a transverse opening intermediate of its ends, an elongated tubular socket formed integral with said frame and having an open inner end at said opening, a circumferential flange around the inner end of said socket, a nut extending through said opening and having concentric inner and outer walls projecting from its outer end and forming an annular groove at the outer end of said nut concentric with the axis thereof and out of communication with opening and having an annular groove in its y outer end concentric with the axis thereof and out of communication with the opening through said nut, a threaded shaft screwed through said nut and having its outer end unobstructed beyond the threads thereof for free movement through said nut during attachment and detachment of said shaft, a head attached to the inner end of said shaft to lengage a rail mounted on said hooks and holding said shaft from turning` with said nut, and a thrust bearing mounted in said groove the opening through said nut, a threaded shaft screwed through said nut and having its outer end unobstructed beyond the threads thereof for free movement through said nut during attachment and detachment of said shaft and said nut, a head attached to the inner end of said shaft to engage a rail mounted on said hooks and holding said shaft from turning with said nut, a thrust bearing mounted in said groove and engaging said circumferential flange at the inner end of said socket and leaving said nut and said bearing free for lateral movements into and from said opening when said shaft is disengaged from said nut, and a series of circumferentially spaced flanges formed on said nut and4 each having a. hole therethrough to receive and wholly support' one end of an insertable and withdl'awable operating level` for said nut.

DALE A. BENNER. 

